The European Space Agency (ESA) has signed two landmark agreements during the International Space Summit in Paris, marking a major double milestone in Europe’s push toward commercial space autonomy and sovereign spaceflight capabilities.
The developments, announced Sept. 9–10, 2026, include a contract worth up to €760 million (US$882 million) awarded to The Exploration Company (TEC) for autonomous cargo transport, alongside a historic agreement with commercial space operator Vast to send Greece’s first astronaut to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2027.
ESA Awards Phase 2 ALADDIN Contract to TEC
ESA selected Franco-German startup The Exploration Company to advance Phase 2 of ALADDIN (Accelerated Development of Autonomous Docking in Low Earth Orbit to an ISS Node). Formerly known as the LEO Cargo Return Service (LCRS) initiative backed by ESA member states since 2022, the…
